Journal of the Light-House Station

Journal of the Light-House Station. . , Journal of the Light-House Stationat at Tybee Island, Ga. , August 7, 1878, Early on the evening of the unit. An incident occurred which aroused the station to such a degree of excitement that had a stranger come suddenly upon the scene he would no doubt, be confirmed in the belief that there is still one spot in Georgia not yet civilized., One of the assistants, who was returning from the top of the main light rushed from the tower in great haste, he made straight for the Keeper's dwelling, and regardless of ceremony, bolted right into the room in which the Keeper (Patrick Egan) was seated his eyes stood forward like to great balls of fire, and his very frame trembled aspen leaf like at length he was able to make known the cause of his consternation. He said, that while walking through the passageway which leads from the interior of the base of the Tower to the old Rooms he was about stepping upon what appeared to him a large cod of rope, when to his horror and disgust, he discovered that was not a coil of rope, but "snake some 15 or 16 feet in length." Before our here could recover himself, the strange trespasser, his eyes glowing wildly in the lantern light, was about to strike his disturber, when the latter, recovering himself sufficiently to understand his perilous situation, sprang back just in time to evade the well directed blow of the monster reptile Finally the assistant succeeded in effecting his escape and making good he retreat to the Keeper, as above started., Immediately upon the startling intelligence being communicated to the crowd gathered by the wild conduct of the apparent madman, they flow in every direction to arms” In a brief space of time, all hands, old and young, big and little, had reassembled around headquarters, fully equipped with weapons of a lovely rustic cast: there were axes, rakes, shovels, pitchforks, hoes and one party somewhere "lit” upon an old rusty gun. The women folks deserve especial mention for the admirable manner in which they acquitted themselves, they brought for action well filled aprons of brick bats but one of the party, who, in every instance, appears singular, armed herself with a huge kettle of being water The Keeper remained remarkably cool, and he wanted to be sure of everything, leaded his double barrel shotgun. Preliminaries finished and the signal All's my being away want the army to the capture., The battlefield's boundary was reached and the huge gate of the Tower rolled back (by means of a 12 foot pole) Observations of the interior were taken from the exterior, but the enemy was nowhere viable. Then desperate resolutions were taken and the army solemnly moved cautiously forward a thorough search of the oil rooms took place - every utensil from the 100 gallon oil butt down to the gill measure having been searched turned - turned inside out as it were, but all to no avail. The skirmish was then continued in the bottom of the main light proper when lot there the long looked for enemy was sighted One, and another report thundering and deafing of the double barrel gun ran out suddenly on the disturbed night air. Then whew! How those bricks crash and wash! And thosegarden tools, how did they clang! And that boiling water, how it poured all down on the lifeless, bleeding form of his makeship in one chaotic mass! After the enemy was at last dug out from under the huge hunks of munition, he was borne in triumph to the nearest grass plat to be eagerly scanned by many a beaming eye. He was fully 14 feet in length (minus 10) and the dispatch of the monster may well be marked as one of the grandest achievement ever recorded in the "History of this station" , Mr. John J. Egan, Second Assistant